By
ROB SHAW

Tigers bounce Warriors

BURNIE'S West Park certainly provided a colourful venue for state cricket yesterday.

Tasmania and Western Australia, clad in their bright green and yellow outfits encased within the blue perimeter track, produced a constant procession of red-faced batsmen heading back towards the dressing rooms.

To call the bounce variable would be underplaying it. Some deliveries kept so low they seemed to pass beneath the stumps while one Evan Gulbis bouncer would have cleared two Marcus Norths.

But while this helped Gulbis and fellow Tasmanian all-rounder James Faulkner return the match-best bowling figures of 4-36 and 4-32 respectively, it made their batting contributions of 57 not out and 66 the equal of most three-figure innings.

When Gulbis joined Faulkner at the crease in the 22nd over, a century partnership looked about as likely as Ricky Ponting reclaiming the Test captaincy from Michael Clarke.

But the pair defied the conditions to see their side to a respectable total of 8-192.

Before they teamed up the resident state's top-order wickets had been falling as quickly as the resident country's on the other side of the Bight.

On the edge of Bass Strait the Tigers found themselves in dire straits at 6-51.

Ben Dunk, Tim Paine, George Bailey and Jordan Silk had all gone for single figures with Alex Doolan and Jonathan Wells just reaching their teens.

They had been blown away by the bounce - at best unpredictable and at worst unplayable - and the blustery conditions - at times there seemed to be a gale on the ground to go with the Blizzard on the sidelines. (Tiger Aiden Blizzard sat out the match.)

The pacemen took full advantage, especially Michael Hogan (4-37) and Nathan Coulter-Nile (3-65).

However, it wasn't long before 192 was looking extremely competitive. Perhaps not at 1-47, but certainly six runs later at 6-53.

Tigers skipper Bailey required just a solitary over from his two spinners as his pace trio claimed the 10 wickets between them with 13 overs left unbowled.